North Korea launched a hypersonic missile toward the East Sea.
This was reported by Yonhap, as conveyed by Ukrinform.
It is noted that this marks the first provocation of the year ahead of the inauguration of newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that they detected the launch of a probable medium-range ballistic missile around 12:00 local time on Monday from the Pyongyang area. The missile traveled approximately 1,100 kilometers before falling into the water, the military added.
Although the missile's flight range was less than the 3,000-5,500 km typically covered by medium-range ballistic missiles, there are suspicions that this missile has characteristics similar to the medium-range hypersonic missiles launched by North Korea in January and April of last year, stated a JCS representative.
If it is confirmed that a hypersonic missile was launched, this incident would represent the longest flight range for a North Korean missile of that type.
The latest launch occurred during U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Seoul for talks on efforts to contain the North Korean threat amid political turmoil in South Korea caused by President Yoon Suk-yeol's failed attempt to impose a state of emergency.
South Korean officials warned that North Korea might exploit the political crisis by initiating military actions and escalating tensions along the border.
“As part of the strong joint defense posture of South Korea and the U.S., our military will closely monitor various activities of North Korea to prevent any misjudgment of the current security situation,” the JCS stated, condemning the launch as a “clear provocation.”
As reported by Ukrinform, on November 5 of last year, North Korea launched several ballistic missiles towards the East Sea.